Hermione's Sleeping Problems
by N. Forest
Summary: Takes place in Hermione's first year at Hogwarts. Snape realizes something is off with the Gryffindor know-it-all. One-shot.


**Disclaimer: **JKR owns everything. I own nothing.

Hermione's Sleeping Problems

Hermione was overjoyed. She couldn't believe that she was a witch! Her family had gone to Diagon Alley yesterday and she had been amazed at the book store. Now there were piles of books on the floor, waiting to be packed into her trunk.

She'd read about the Hogwarts library and the castle itself in _'Hogwarts: A History'_. Hermione had stayed up until two that morning, trying to finish the book. Just when she'd started to read about the current headmaster Albus Dumbledore her alarm had gone off and she'd went to sleep.

*************

After an eventful train ride and first day, Hermione found her way to the library. She still had trouble navigating the castle and the magical environment was taking so getting use to. The moving staircases, talking pictures and Hogwarts ghosts, weren't anything like she'd imagined.

This library seemed to be as much of a haven to her as the public library had been back home. It was quiet and empty. None of the people sitting at the tables studying seemed to be the type to insult her for wanting to know things.

She skimmed over the shelves as quickly as she could. She wanted to devour every scrap of paper in the place. Within thirty minutes she had gathered an enormous stack of books. They ranged from poetry and plays to potion ingredient guides and wizarding clothes catalogues.

"Excuse me." She timidly asked a red-haired boy that had been in the common room the night before.

He glared up at her. "I'm trying to work. First-years have to understand that they can't just..." He stopped his harsh whispering when he noticed her eyes beginning to tear-up.

_It's just like home!_ Hermione thought. _They all hate me and no one will every help me!_

Percy hastily tried to apologize. "I'm sorry. I was just trying to study. Can I help you?"

Hermione smiled timidly. _Maybe this won't be so bad after all._

"I think so." She told him. "I wanted to know if I'm allowed to sign books out."

Percy stood up. "Of course. I'll be happy to help you." He guided Hermione to the check out desk and introduced her to the librarian.

After Hermione had placed the books into her shoulder bag, she went rushing out. She couldn't wait to get started on her reading. She made her way quickly into Gryffindor tower, passed through the common room and sprinted up to her dormitory.

"Hi Hermione." Her two room mates giggled.

_Idiots_. Hermione thought while sending them a fierce glare. She wanted to read, not giggle over some silly, girly magazine!

She sat down on her bed and pulled the first book toward her. It was a play. '_The Unfaithful Daughter.' _The title itself intrigued her. However, a few hours later she was not impressed.

"No!" She cried, slamming the book into her bed. The pureblood heroine had dumped the love of her life, a muggle for some tradition of not marrying muggles! And then she'd had her muggle lover killed!

She picked up the next book on the pile, not noticing how quiet it had grown. The common room was empty. Everyone was in the great hall, eating dinner.

Around ten that night Hermione finally lowered her potion guide. She'd been absorbed in it for the past four hours. Both Lavender and Parvati had returned, showered and gone to bed. All but the older students were retiring. It had been a long day and they still were adjusting to being back in school.

Hermione simply stretched out her back, rubbed her eyes and picked up the next book._ I could never sleep with so much to read_. She thought before sinking into the next tome.

She read deep into the night, marvelling over wizard culture, science and clothing. Even getting into the spirit of poetry. She didn't even notice the sun rise. Once again she'd read straight from the night.

Hermione did go to breakfast that morning. After tired, mumbled "Good Mornings." She took a place at the table and opened a book she'd brought with her. It took all of her self control to stop from falling asleep at breakfast and in her classes. The second she let her attention wander, she would feel her eyes start to drift closed.

************

Weeks past and at first Minerva McGonagall didn't notice any problems with her new lions. Longbottom struggled in potions, but many Gryffindors did. Harry Potter was settling in well and had become good friends with Ron Weasley. Hermione Granger was turning out to be one of the brightest witches in the entire school.

"What is an animagus?" Professor McGonagall scanned the class. Surprisingly Hermione's hand wasn't up. "Miss Granger?"

Hermione's head snapped up. "I'm sorry. I didn't hear the question."

Minerva was surprised to see the girl's face was flushed and her hair was greasy, almost like she hadn't washed it quite a few days. The Professors were quite used to this look, but it was usually confined to exam times only.

Harry nudged her and whispered something in her ear.

"Oh. An animagus is a person who can turn them self into an animal at will."

McGonagall frowned at the intelligent girl. "Correct. Try to pay attention next time."

Hermione's face flushed even more and she hastily pulled a handkerchief out of her pocket and coughed into it harshly.

**************

That night Hermione spent the entire night reading again. She'd become so enthralled with the magical world that she'd only slept for a few hours every night, if she slept at all. There was just so much to know!

Her classwork certainly wasn't being effected. If anything her marks had gone up! She'd just have to concentrate on not falling asleep in class. The next day they were making a potion, finally! And she couldn't wait to prove to Professor Snape that she wasn't a dunderhead.

But the next day the unthinkable happened. Hermione was measuring out porcupine quills for a boil-cure when she yawned._ If only I could rest for just a minute..._ She remembered thinking. Then before she knew what was happening, her head was on the desk and she was out like a light (or a wand that had been nox'd.)

"MISS GRANGER!" Professor Snape's voice cut into her sleep.

"Why is he in my dormitory?" Hermione wondered, unfortunately out loud.

"Come with me." He told her.

Hermione pulled herself out of her desk. Despite the nap, she was still exhausted. Her eyes just kept slipping closed. She followed him into his office and sat in the chair he'd indicated.

Severus Snape had been noticing this Gryffindor lately. She reminded him a lot of himself as a student. She kept to herself, always seemed to have a book and looked tired constantly. He was personally familiar with the effects of sleep deprivation. During his time as a spy he'd never had enough time to get any sleep.

He leaned into toward the girl, noticing the deep rings under her eyes. "Are you feeling all right?"

"Yes sir." Hermione said before bursting into another fit of harsh, painful coughs.

He opened a door on his desk and pulled out the fever thermometer he kept in there to find out if his students were really sick. Countless children had played ill to get out of a test. "Open your mouth please."

Hermione was too tired to argue. She simply took the thermometer in and waited for the reading. It gave her a chance to rest. Her chest hurt and she wanted more than anything to go to sleep.

Finally the thermometer beeped. Snape took it from her and glanced at the display. He raised his eyebrows. "39 degrees is quite a fever. Are you sure you're feeling all right?" He looked at her sharply.

Hermione yawned. "Not really sir. I'm soooo tired." She dropped her head down onto his desk.

Snape crossed quickly to his fireplace and floo'd the hospital wing. "Poppy! I need you to come see a student for me."

A few minutes later the mediwitch was standing in front of a sleeping Hermione. Her wand was out and she cast several diagnostic spells.

She frowned and recast the spells. "She's very sleep deprived Severus." She told the Professor. "I don't believe she gotten enough sleep since summer at least!"

"Can you get her out of my office?" Snape asked the annoying mediwitch. While he cared deeply for all of the students and staff, showing it would wreck his image.

Poppy just smiled. "Come by and talk to her later." She told him, while levitating the girl onto a stretcher to bring her to the hospital wing. "Now go back to your class." She ordered him, giving him a light shove toward the door.

*************

When Hermione woke up a few hours later, she sat up in surprise. This wasn't her bed, she couldn't see a single book and she was suppose to be in potions class! But before she had slid all the way out of the very comfortable bed, a woman came bustling in.

"Oh, you're awake." She said, putting down the potions she was carrying. "How are you feeling?" She asked, as she walked over to the side of Hermione's bed.

"Fine." Hermione answered distractedly. "What's going on? I need to be in class!"

"Don't worry." Pomfrey told her. "Classes are over."

"Where's my book bag?" Hermione asked. "I need to get started on my homework."

"None of that right now. Didn't you realize how ill you were becoming?" Poppy asked. "You need to get some sleep."

Hermione coughed again. "I'm not tired. I just slept!"

But Pomfrey was already next to her, feeling her forehead and asking her how she was feeling. "Take this." She told her, offering a vial of potion. "For your respiratory infection."

"What?" Hermione exclaimed. "I haven't got an infection!"

"Your immune system was weakened. And because you didn't come and see me it's become worse. Take the potion." She said, trying to had her the potion once again.

Hermione took the vial and swallowed it, shuddering. "Ugh!"

"And this one." Pomfrey handed her the next vial. "You need to get some sleep."

Hermione took the potion. It was obvious she didn't have much choice, and fell asleep almost instantly.

**************

When she woke up again, it was dark outside. Again she didn't feel tired at all. In fact she felt more energized than she'd ever felt. As if she could read for a year! But when she turned to the table to look for a book, she found Professor Snape there instead.

"Professor!" She exclaimed. "I didn't expect to see you here sir."

He blinked at her. "Good evening Miss Granger. I trust you find your energy restored?"

"Yes sir." And Hermione did feel re-energized. Her eyes weren't closing, her chest didn't hurt. She felt normal. "Do you know where my books are sir?"

He frowned at her. "No. However, I am here to speak to you on the matter of your reading."

"Why? I read more than anyone else. My grades are fine!" Hermione told him. "There's nothing to talk about!"

"Than why are you in the hospital wing?" He asked her. "Why did you fall asleep in my class?"

"Oh." Hermione answered in a small voice, starring at her lap.

"Do you realize that you require sleep Miss Granger?" He asked her kindly.

"Yes sir. There's just so much to read!"

"We contacted your parents. They told us you'd had the same problem before."

Hermione blushed. "I'm fine! It's nothing!" She protested.

"No. Listen to me. This is bad. It can threaten your life. It needs to stop, now." He told her.

Hermione bite her lip and studied the ceiling. She didn't mean to not sleep, she just got so caught up in her reading!

"I understand your problem." He told her. "There's just not enough hours in a day. But you still must find some time to sleep and care for your body." He motioned to her greasy hair.

Hermione was still starring open mouthed at her Professor. _He'd had problems? He was a teacher!_

"You made your self very ill." He told her. "You've been sleeping for almost an entire week. Between the infection, sleeping potions and your own exhaustion."

"Sorry sir." Hermione mumbled. "I swear I won't do it again!"

Madam Pomfrey choose that moment to come back around the bed curtains. "Aw, good. You're awake."

"Good evening." Hermione told the mediwitch, smiling at her inquires to her health. "I'm fine."

"We just need to make sure you remain fine." The Professor told her.

"I've worked out a plan." Poppy told her. "Every night you will report to the hospital wing and-"

Hermione cut her off. "I will not! I'm not some child that's incapable of caring for herself. I said I won't do it again!"

"You will report to the hospital wing Miss Granger." Professor Snape told her. "Or you will stay in a teacher's quarters and be supervised constantly!"

Hermione's eyes widened at the threat. "I'll come. I don't have to spend the night here, do I?" She asked hurriedly.

"No." Poppy reassured her. "You'll simply take a calming draught and relax. Get ready for bed and than floo back to the common room."

"And than go right to bed." Snape finished. "And if we find out you haven't been getting enough sleep, you'll be confined to the hospital wing whenever you're not in classes."

Hermione glared at her clasped hands. "I'm sure I'll survive."

"Good." The mediwitch backed away from her bed. "You may leave then. I'll see tomorrow at eight o'clock."

"What!" Hermione was embarrassed by the early bedtime. "I'm not a toddler!"

Snape ignored her rant and spoke over her. "You will also have a three book maximum in the library. Just to be sure you don't over work yourself."

Hermione groaned and lay back. "Fine." She scrambled out of bed. "I guess I understand. See you at 8." And she made her way back to the hospital wing.

As she walked through the corridors back to the tower her thoughts examined the situation. 'They only did that because they care.' She decided. 'It's nice being at a school where the teachers care for more than marks."

_I've now posted a sequel to this story, called 'Hermione's Late Night Recovery'. I also made some minor edits to this chapter._


End file.
